1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cargo load restraints and more particularly to a restraint arrangement in a cargo aircraft for restraint of pallet type cargo loads of the type having side pockets to restrain the pallet type cargo loads from vertical movement and allow free movement of the pallet type cargo loads in the forward and aft directions on the aircraft without interfering with such movement of the pallet type cargo loads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various transportation vehicles, such as large cargo carrying aircraft, are often required to carry a variety of loads. It is current practice to have such loads placed on pallets. The pallets are often loaded onto the aircraft from an aft loading door or a side loading door. In general, pairs of spaced apart rails are provided on the aircraft and the spacing between the pairs of rails corresponds to the width of the pallet type loads. Whether loaded from a rear door or from a side door, the pallets must be able to move on the rails in the longitudinal direction, that is, in the fore and aft directions during the loading and unloading of the pallets from the aircraft.
The rails, as may be installed on a loading deck of an aircraft, generally run the longitudinal length of the cargo area of the aircraft and for each width of the pallets the corresponding rails are, in general, equally spaced from the centerline of the aircraft.
The standardized pallet sizes are specified in the NAS 3610 Cargo Unit Load Devices Specification and the teaching and technology thereof are incorporated herein by reference.
Thus, the width of the pallets may be, for example, eight feet, ten feet, twelve feet, and the like. The aircraft may have pairs of rails corresponding to a specified width so that the aircraft may have the capability of carrying, on the same flight, a large number of pallet type cargo loads of the specified width pallets. Cargo restraints are often mounted on or adjacent to the rails to restrain the pallets from vertical movement during transportation from one location to another.
Consequently, in loading and unloading the pallets, the pallets must be able to pass freely by the restraints by, for the pallets in the desired load position in the aircraft, the restraints must engage the pallet type loads to restrain the loads from the vertical movement. For efficiency it is desired that the restraints be fixed on the rails in a desired longitudinal spaced array corresponding to the longitudinal spacing of pockets on the pallets and in transverse alignment so that the restraints engage both sides of the pallet.
If the restraints were to be removable, considerable time is wasted in installing and removing the restraints in order to allow the pallets to pass thereby and then install the restraints when the pallet type cargo load is in the desired position. If the restraints are fixed in place, the restraints must be capable of not interfering with movement of the pallets as the pallets are loaded and unloaded.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pallet type cargo load restraint for restraining cargo type pallets from vertical movement in an aircraft.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved pallet type cargo load restraint for restraining cargo type pallets from vertical movement in an aircraft in which the restraints do not interfere with the forward and aft movement of the pallet type loads during the loading and unloading thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved pallet type cargo load restraint for restraining cargo type pallets from vertical movement in an aircraft in which the restraints are automatically in a restraining engagement with the pallet type cargo loads for the condition of the pallet type cargo loads at a desired preselected location in the aircraft.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved pallet type cargo load restraint for restraining cargo type pallets from vertical movement in an aircraft in which the restraints are automatically in a restraining engagement with the pallet type cargo loads for the condition of the pallet type cargo loads at a desired preselected location in the aircraft and in which the pallet type cargo loads move the restraint out of restraining engagement during forward and aft movement of the cargo type pallet restraints.